When training athletes the correct mechanics of running, there are several things that both the athlete and the trainer must keep in mind and apply simultaneously and there can be a tendency to focus on one or two aspects while forgetting the others. To the extent possible, anything that can be done to apply principles subconsciously so that they become second nature to the athlete, is helpful.
One of the key aspects of running and speed drills is to maintain the correct form and motion of the legs thereby making optimum use of the muscles to generate the most power without sacrificing power and energy to wasted movement.
For speed, the optimum position for the legs is to have the knees bent at about 90° and for the athlete to run on his toes. This can be seen by watching slow motion film or video of sprinters who strive for speed over a short distance. Such athletes achieve such position, form and function through long hours of practice until it becomes second nature to adopt that position. However, while training, particularly during the early phases, it requires conscious effort on the part of the athlete and constant attention by the trainer to ensure that the correct form and position is adopted and used without lapsing to a less efficient form.
Many devices have been proposed for use to give athletes resistance during running. These include devices having elastic bands connected between the athlete's waist and ankles which, while providing resistance, permit the athlete to use all of his leg muscles from the hips on down with the result that the athlete is able to straighten his legs when running. As a result, the athlete is not trained to maintain the correct position of the legs for optimum muscle use and maximum speed. Other devices use weights attached around the hips or quadriceps to provide resistance to the hip flexors and quadriceps in driving the knees upward during running. Such devices, while potentially helping with conditioning and muscle strength, do not restrict the athlete from fully extending his legs while running and, therefore, do not train the runner to maintain the correct and efficient form for running.
What is needed is a device which is easily worn by athletes during training to maintain their legs in the correct position and form while training and which provides sufficient resistance to prevent undesired extension of the legs without a conscious effort on the part of the athlete. Such a device should be easily applied and adjustable to different heights and strengths.